If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

VSH Queen needed ASAP

After looking at my bees last weekend, I've got one Colony that's a 2 deep hive bodies unit. This colony is full in both hive bodies with the queen laying top and bottom. While I know that I could watch this colony closely and prevent swarming until after the end of the surplus honey flow here(July 1st) I'd prefer to split it by March 1st so as to have 2 colonies producing a surplus honey crop. With that said I started calling around today looking for a VSH Queen with everyone telling me May or June earliest available. I can appreciate all those that were intelligent enough to order early with the proper foresight.
In all of my 1st 10 years of beekeeping not once did I have a colony this strong this early in the year, and with the fact that 1 of my New Years resolution's was to renew my beekeeping hobby the need for a queen ASAP was not remotely on the radar.

With all that said does anybody have a lead on the early delivery (March 1st) of a VSH queen?

If this is a fantasy for me, chalk it up to a part of my updated honeybee education. Lol

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

You could do the split and let them raise their own queens. Just make sure you have right age larvae and watch them closely. Make sure they have plenty of resources. Feed, Feed, Feed. Worst case is combine them back together. If your existing queen lacks traits you want, at least this way you can keep hive growing until you can get a queen.

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

I'd be quite happy to go this route but I'm thinking the odds are against me making this happen by March 1st. The issues I see are

1- No drones are in the colonies at this time nor did I see any egg laying in the drone cells.
2- If I had drones AND a virgin queen it'd be a gamble to get good enough weather for a mating flight in Febuary.

If buying a queen early is a pipe dream then I'll end up moving frames of brood from this one strong colony over to my other 2 colonies making sure to have a strong colony population in all 3.
What concerns me the most doing this is that my strong colony is the most heavily infested with SHB of the 3 colonies I have.

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

I see your situation, I obivously missed that before. If you have 2 weaker colonies perhaps your focus should be to strengthen them for a bit then perhaps split 1 or more to increase your numbers, if that's your desire. As to SHB, there should not be hardly any in the hives at this time of year. When the weather gets warmer, treat the soil around your hives with diatemaeous earth. I buy mine from the co-op. Dust the ground heavily around & under, carefully, and wet it down or do it just before a rain. Then use the beetle traps in each hive body. I use hydrated lime in mine instead of oil. It has a higher kill ratio. I have used these for 6 years now, hardly ever see a SHB.

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

I was totally amazed at the number of SHB present in the one colony that's the strongest. Every frame that I removed for inspection had at least 10 that I could see. I think it's a serious issue at the moment.

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

I agree
Its still a little to early for the breeders to get queens mated. Once you have drones you could buy cells from Miksa in Florida.
Last year they started selling queens in Feb, I think thats about the earliest you'll find. http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...ueens-for-sale

You're hive shouldn't swarm until they have the resources to raise a good queen. Not to say they won't

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

Originally Posted by KQ6AR

I agree
Its still a little to early for the breeders to get queens mated. Once you have drones you could buy cells from Miksa in Florida.
Last year they started selling queens in Feb, I think thats about the earliest you'll find. http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...ueens-for-sale

You're hive shouldn't swarm until they have the resources to raise a good queen. Not to say they won't

I agree that swarming should not be an issue for at least 4-6 weeks, but then again I think this colony is abnormally strong for this time of year as I don't recall ever having a colony this populated in January.

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

Its been super early in our area Cantrell. Pollen gathering on new years day... For the same reason I did lots of checking around and found GA bee supply will ship March 16 unless something changes. gabeesupply.com That would be your best bet for the area.

Re: VSH Queen needed ASAP

Originally Posted by KQ6AR

I agree
Its still a little to early for the breeders to get queens mated. Once you have drones you could buy cells from Miksa in Florida.
Last year they started selling queens in Feb, I think thats about the earliest you'll find. http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...ueens-for-sale

You're hive shouldn't swarm until they have the resources to raise a good queen. Not to say they won't

Thanks KQ6AR,

Andy has agreed to send me a queen once the funds arrive at his place of buisness. I'm planning on mid Febuary if the weather is decent.